


Sweet and Easy

by sleeplessthrills



Category: GOT7, Miss A
Genre: 100 Ways to Say I Love You Writing Challenge, Drabble Collection, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Various AUs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 23:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10501377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeplessthrills/pseuds/sleeplessthrills
Summary: Prompts are from p0ck3tf0x's Tumblr post, titled One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I Love You'





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts are from p0ck3tf0x's Tumblr post, titled One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I Love You'

**1\. “Pull over. Let me drive for a while.”**

What was supposed to be a quick work trip to Gwangju to survey a location for her office's upcoming event became a much bigger affair with her family finding out that she's in town. Her plan was to just sneak in and out of the city in a flash since she had to be back in Seoul by Sunday night. She purposely didn't inform anyone of her arrival because she knew that they'd ask her to stay late and hang out. Especially once her parents see Jinyoung in tow, they'd definitely pester them to have dinner together and that'll make it harder for them to make it back to Seoul in time.

And Jinyoung. Sweet, sweet Jinyoung who didn't even need to go down to Gwangju with her agreed to do so because she didn't feel like driving alone. His job as a lawyer afforded almost no time off, so when she told him that she's going to Gwangju and wanted company, she didn't actually think that he'd say yes. When they found themselves driving down the highway towards her hometown that Saturday morning, she couldn't help but to feel relieved. It was nice to have time with him again.

The thing about Jinyoung is that you only need to see him once to remember his face. That's why her aunt immediately noticed him when they were walking down the beach. Within minutes, her mom was yelling at her on the phone for being a bad daughter. She could only laugh bitterly as she apologised to a smiling Jinyoung who was being bombarded with questions by her aunt. What was supposed to be a quick lunch at her house stretched into dinner that went on until the clock struck 10 pm.

By the time they hit the road, her car was 10 pounds heavier thanks to the boxes of fruits and the road was empty as it was close to 11 pm. She sighed and leaned back against her seat. She was exhausted but she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face.

"What was I thinking... not telling my family I'm in town," she muttered.

He laughed, his eyes focused on the empty stretch of road ahead.

"They're too much, aren't they?" she turned to him, "God. I'm sorry, Jinyoung-ah. My family is a bit crazy and loud."

He laughed again, "They're crazy and loud, just like you."

"Yah!" she protested weakly.

"Your mom really hasn't changed," he continued. "It's been... what? Five years since I saw her at our graduation? And yet she looks exactly the same."

"It's all the SK-II stuff she puts on her face," Suji explained.

Jinyoung nodded quietly, "I should buy my mom some then. Maybe I'll ask your mom for recommendations."

Their chatter continued until it faded into comfortable silence with only the sound of the music filling up the vehicle. Suji fell asleep for a brief moment and when she opened her eyes, they landed on Jinyoung's grip on the steering that seemed a little too tight. He must be tired, she thought. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock.

"Pull over. Let me drive for a while."

He didn't say anything before quietly pulling over at the shoulder of the road. "Thanks," he mumbled before falling asleep. Suji smiled, turning up the volume of the music, feeling grateful that she has someone like him in her life. Someone who is willing to drive out of town with her. Someone who isn't ashamed or embarrassed to have her take over the driving when he got too tired. Someone who is just there for her, even if they don't see each other often.

"Thank you, Park Jinyoung," she whispered to no one.

 

**2\. “It reminded me of you.”**

Suji hates e-mails. If there was an app that she would happily delete from her phone and her life, it would be her e-mail app. She hates checking it in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night. She loves her job - designing is something she loves doing, but reading and responding to e-mails just makes her want to scream. If she could, she'd like to just stay in a cave with her Wacom pad and iMac for eternity. So when the notification for a new e-mail appeared, she was ready to groan but it was stopped short when she read the name of the sender.

> Park Jinyoung 
> 
> Subject: It reminded me of you

She smiled as she clicked the message, finding a link to [a video of a group of panda](https://www.google.co.id/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjx3OeO_4DTAhWHKo8KHRObAmcQtwIIGTAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DR2uiy27Xv_U&usg=AFQjCNHu2tZpACc_uTnwS9N7OZl9J_y5XQ&sig2=fiJM-reT5V7_h0nQZOnrbQ&bvm=bv.151325232,d.c2I) who was making the life of the zookeeper difficult as they kept jumping into the pile of leaves that the zookeeper is trying to clean up.

She laughed and typed a quick reply.

> Bae Suji
> 
> Subject: Re: It reminded me of you
> 
> What are you implying, Lawyer Park?

And for the first time, she was looking forward to what her e-mail will bring.

 

**3\. “No, no, it’s my treat.”**

Park Jinyoung is a gentleman to a fault. People can perceive him as various things but one that everyone will agree on is that he is a true gentleman and as such, he would never let a girl pay for a meal during a date.

"But this not a date," Suji joked as she handed her card to the cashier.  Jinyoung sighed, exasperated and still slightly embarrassed, "But I can pay for my share. Let me just run back to my office and grab my wallet. Okay?" He leaned closer, pleading with his best puppy eyes.

Suji laughed and shook her head, "No no. It's my treat," she smiled at the cashier who returned her card with the receipt, "Besides, you're being ridiculous. How long have we been friends? It's just a cup of coffee. I may not be a hotshot lawyer like you but I won't starve just because I paid for your coffee."

He followed her out the door, still feeling uncomfortable.

"Why don't you drive me back to my office? The cost of the gas is the same as that cup of coffee, I bet," she finally suggested, feeling slightly bad at seeing her best friend walking around like a dejected puppy. He scrunched his nose, "I was gonna do that anyway."

"Well, just drive me back and we'll call it even. Okay?" she insisted.

He finally sighed, opening the passenger door for her, "Fineeee. But I'm buying you a cupcake later."

She chuckled as she watched him run around the car to his side, amused and utterly happy.

 

**4\. Come here. Let me fix it.**

It was his first day as an associate for Yoon & Lee, the law firm that he was miraculously able to score after graduating from SNU Law. After seven long years of late nights and practically living in the library, he finally made it. The only catch is that he seems to have forgotten how to tie his tie. So he dialed a number that he knew like the back of his hand.

"I need your help," he said without a beat. He could hear her shuffling around her bed as she muttered an indecipherable 'okay.' "I don't think I'm tying my tie correctly," he eyed his own reflection, scrunching at the knot that seemed too messy and looked slightly crooked. He could feel panic rising in the back of his throat but before he could spiral further into his own mess of worry, she replied hoarsely, "Come here. Let me fix it."

Within fifteen minutes, he was knocking on her officetel's door and she greeted him with a sleepy hello as he followed her into her humble apartment.

"Are you excited?" she asked as she undid the tie. Jinyoung fought the urge to tap his foot and did his best to remain still. "I am. But more nervous than excited," he answered, his voice strained and slightly shaky.

It was truly a sight for her, seeing her dependable and always-confident best friend so shaken and stirred. She was always the one who is a little rougher around the edges, always bumping into things as she makes her way around. She's the one who'd freak out over a missed deadline and would join Jinyoung in the SNU Law library until dawn to finish whatever project she had to do for her client while he'd calmly have everything ready and prepared, never seeming to rush or even seemed flustered. So seeing him shifting his weight from foot to foot as she finished tying his skinny tie made her chuckle.

"What?" 

She shook her head, smiling. "Have a great first day," she said as she ushered him out the door. He nodded, his eyes wholly distracted. "Call you at lunch time?" he asked before walking away.

She nodded.

 

**5\. I'll walk you home.**

"I'll walk you home," she offered to a pretty hammered Jinyoung who just downed his seventh bottle of beer. He was at a dinner with his friends from the film club when she found him slumped on the table. Apparently, no one knew that his tolerance level is low and everyone was still too into the dinner itself to really figure out what to do.

Suji herself was walking home from a coffee shop with her friend when she saw him from the window of the restaurant. He was a little hard to miss with his boyish face laid sideways towards the window, eyes closed. She told her friend to go ahead as she walked into the restaurant to take care of business. They had grown closer after a few group hang outs with their mutual friends. She couldn't deny that she was growing fond is him - the way he'd talk about his favourite books and the way he'd laugh at everyone's jokes, even if it's not funny. So when she saw him slumped on the table, she couldn't help but to walk into the restaurant and rescue him.

"Are you his girlfriend?" some of the guys on the table asked, their speech slurred. Suji rolled her eyes before bowing goodbye and walking out of the restaurant.

 

The next morning, Jinyoung woke up to a splitting headache and a Post-It on his forehead. 

> Drink the water and take the Tylenol.
> 
> Ramyeon is ready to boil on your stove.
> 
> You owe me ~~dinner~~ a few dinners.
> 
> \- Suj

He chuckled for a moment (before quickly grimacing in pain - who knew that smiling could be so painful when you're hungover?)


	2. Part II

**6\. Have a good day at work.**

“Ughhhh I’m so lonely,” his friend Yugyeom whined after he gulped the last of his beer. It was just the three of them tonight - Jinyoung, Yugyeom, and Youngjae. They had been a member of the same club back in SNU and they occasionally like to have after-work drinks together. This night was no different, except that the youngest of the three seemed to be feeling especially whiny. “I need a girlfriend,” he continued, “Can you find me one?”

The other just laughed. “Yah… why are you asking a bunch of single guys to find you a girlfriend? I don’t even have one for myself,” Jinyoung said. Youngjae snorted, “Don’t lie. You’re basically dating Suji noona.”

Jinyoung could feel his cheek reddening. “We’re not,” he denied, although the slight smile on his lips may prove otherwise.

“Look,” Youngjae grabbed Jinyoung’s phone and opened KaTalk. “These messages between the two of you are messages you only send if you’re dating,” the younger boy’s voice became indignant.

“‘Are you asleep?’ ‘What time are you leaving for Busan? Should I drive you to the airport?’ ‘Park Gae-nim, can I call you in a half an hour please?’ ‘Sleep tight.’”

As Youngjae read aloud some of the daily exchanges that he has with Suji, he had to agree. Perhaps those were messages that are only sent between lovers and not friends - best friends, as she’d like to say.

It would be lying if he says that it has never occurred to him that he should take their relationship to the next step. They’ve been each other’s main person since they were freshmen in university and now that they’re both 26, perhaps it was time to stop beating around the bush.

Maybe.

“‘Good morning. Did you have breakfast?’ ‘Have a good day at work,’” Youngjae continued on, “Are you sure you’re not married? This sounds like something my parents say to each other.”

_Married, huh?_

  
**7\. I dreamt about you last night.**

For someone who loves sleep as much as she does, she doesn’t really dream. In fact, she hates it.

“The purpose of sleeping is to rest. If I’m dreaming, that means my brain is not resting,” she’d grumble when people ask why.

But lately, she’s been minding it less and less.

“I dreamt about you last night,” she said after she sat down across from the guy she has only recently gotten close to. After she rescued him from his drunken night and brought him home, the two had been spending more and more time together - whether it be between classes or on weekends. Granted, the hangs have mostly been with their other friends but just seeing his face made her ridiculously happy. So it was no wonder that seeing him in her dream had made her like dreaming a bit more than usual.

“Really? What was I doing?”

She paused for a second and wondered if she should tell him. “We were—“ she began to say but a phone call interrupted her.

He placed his phone to his ears and mouthed an apology before answering, “Hello? Hi babe. Yeah, I’m having coffee with Suji right now.. Uh huh… What time does your practise end? Ah…”

 _That_ , she said to herself, _You called me_ babe _and we were having a picnic_ at at _Cheonggyecheon Stream. You were laughing at one of my unfunny stories and you kissed me over and over so that I can get a taste of the strawberry shortcake that you said you made yourself. Us. Together. That’s what I dreamt about._

  
**8\. Take my seat.**

This is how they really met: he saw her first from the distance. Scratch that. He heard her first. Not heard of her, but actually heard her.

She had one of those infectious laugh that has the magical power of inducing smiles and laughter on other people within the audible proximity. So when he first heard her laugh, he couldn’t help but to turn and look for the source. His eyes landed on a pretty tall girl with dark, medium-length hair who was currently bent over, laughing at something that her friend had said. Her eyes had almost disappeared and her mouth were opened wide - it was the laugh of someone who had no one to impress. And he loved that.

So when he walked into a restaurant per his sunbae’s dinner invitation, he couldn’t contain the smile on his lips when he saw her. She had her hair in a messy, low ponytail and she was - once again - laughing at something his sunbae were saying. He walked hesitantly towards her and belatedly realised that there were no seats - it was a pretty big gathering with close to a dozen people on the long table.

“Jinyoungie is here!” his sunbae exclaimed excitedly - a little too excitedly, courtesy of the empty beer bottles on the table.

“Hello,” he bowed politely, “Class ran a little late,” he smiled apologetically, trying his best not to stare at her.

“Sit, sit!” his sunbae gestured. He looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to do seeing that there weren’t any empty seats until she stood up and said, “Take my seat! I have to go anyway…” she smiled brightly at him.

“Is your boyfriend outside?” the girl sitting next to his sunbae asked nonchalantly.

She nodded.

“Say hi to him for me!” his sunbae yelled out as she walked away before giving Jinyoung another reassuring smile, leaving him slightly speechless and mostly intrigued.

Wow.

(A month later, Jinyoung pretended like he didn’t know her when his sunbae introduced him to her. Her name is Bae Suji and Jinyoung hasn’t stopped admiring that laugh ever since.)

  
**9\. I saved a piece for you.**

It was the winter holiday and the gang - consisting of Suji, Huiryung, Wooshik, Jinyoung, Jaebum, and Jackson - wanted to have one last hurrah before they all go their separate ways to their families for the rest of the year. So Huiryung, the mother figure of the group, arranged a dinner party where she cooked almost everything while the rest of them tried their best to not get in her way (Youngjae) or wreak as much as havoc as they can (the rest of them).

“Huiryung-ah, can we eat the chocolate banana cake?” Jackson asked as he looked inside the fridge.

“Wait until dessert!” the cook had retorted from the kitchen. She was slaving away, preparing the honey glazed ham that they were all going to enjoy.

“Please please pleaseeeeeee…” Jackson begged.

“Just one slice for all of us to share,” Jinyoung chimed in.

“The ham is taking so long,” Jaebum whined.

“I didn’t eat lunch…” Wooshik added in, sounding as pathetic and sad as possible.

Suji, who was watching America’s Next Top Model in the living room, rolled her eyes. This is far too typical - as in, this happens almost every time they have a dinner party at Huiryung’s. She could almost see her friend sighing in defeat before finally relenting and saying, “Fine. But you all better be hungry enough to finish all these food!”

The next thing she heard was a mess of movements involving the fridge door being opened and closed, plates, and utensils.

“I saved a piece for you,” Jinyoung sat down next to her with a roughly sliced piece of tart.

“Did they eat the rest?” she asked, taking the plate gratefully from his hand.

“Jackson is eating two slices at the same time,” he answered.

She chuckled, happily digging into her tart.

  
**10\. I’m sorry for your loss.**

Suji was in the middle of a meeting when the text message came.

> **Park Jinyoung**  
>  My noona got into an accident

She excused herself as fast she could and made her way to the hospital. She didn’t know what all went through her head as she sat in the back of the cab. His sister lived in Jinhae for a long time and had only moved to Seoul recently because of her husband’s work. Jinyoung had been so happy to be closer to his niece and they had babysat for the couple a few times in the past year.

Oh my god, Minyoungie… she closed her eyes in dread as her thought went to the little girl who just lost her mother.

She ran down the hall of the hospital and only stopped when she reached Jinyoung, embracing his mother who was sobbing on the rickety plastic chair. She sat down next to the older woman and held her hand, not really sure what to do to provide comfort.

The next few days went by in a blur. She basically stuck to the Park family like a glue, staying at the funeral home from day to night, greeting guests, cleaning up tables, and replenishing food supplies. Throughout it all, she witnessed Jinyoung fulfilling his duty as the son of the family. He took care of everything on behalf of his brother-in-law and never broke down even when they lowered the body into the ground.

To outsiders, he may seem strong. And tough. And efficient. And dependable. But she knew what was stirring beneath and she knew that she had to let him build that wall for himself before she could knock and tear it down.

His car stopped in front of his apartment. She had driven him home because the dark circles beneath his eyes clearly indicated that he was in no shape to drive himself home. He had up for three days straight as far as she could tell and he didn’t protest when she took his car keys.

She proceeded to park his car in the garage when he opened his eyes. “Are we here?” he asked, his voice hoarse and groggy.

“Yeah… just ago.”

He sighed. It sounded like he was breathing for the first time in a while.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, just above a whisper, and that seemed to undo whatever fortress he had built around himself. His tears began to fall like waterfalls and all she could do was pull him into her embrace. With each passing sob, she tried her best to pull him closer, as if hoping that she could take some of the pain off of him.

Later that night, she lied awake… staring at Jinyoung who was asleep next to her. He had asked her to stay and she did, letting him hold her hand tight as he quickly fell into slumber.


	3. Part III

**11\. You can have half.**

_He's doing it again,_ Suji sighed as she watched her friend slave away in one of the corner tables at the library. She sauntered over, her steps more confident than she ever remembered when she was still a student in this institution. Maybe because she no longer feels dependent on that place - or whatever that place represents. She doesn't fancy going back to the old stomping ground (though the more accurate stomping ground for Suji would be the studio in the Art Building, not the library), but when Jinyoung has been at the library since 8 am, she knew she had to do something.

"Hi..." she said greeted with a rather biting tone. He looked up and was taken aback, "What are you doing here?"

She took out her lunch box and placed it on the table before nonchalantly taking a seat across from him. "I'm here to eat dinner," she answered.

"Huh?"

"What time did you get here this morning?" she ignored his question and busied herself in opening her dosirak and taking out the eating utensils she brought.

"Uh... early. 7 or 8? Something like that..."

She nodded. "You can have half," she said, pushing the metal box closer to him.

A smile bloomed on his face as he took the spoon and began eating, "I thought you weren't gonna share," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes before breaking out into a small smile. "I wasn't," she fibbed, "But you looked so sad and weak that I decided to be nice."

"Ahh... is that so?" he said after swallowing a big bite, "I thank you for your kindness, Queen Suji."

She laughed, "As my servant, you need to feed yourself so you can stay strong and protect this nation from the white collar criminals that are trying to abuse the laws that I have set."

"Set better laws then," he quipped, eyes completely focused on the meal. He knows that she came here just to feed him and she has no intention of eating any of the food. They've done this dance a billion times and a part of him wonders if he continues to stay late at the library because he knows that she'd come to see him. Maybe that's just his selfishness, but after a long day of studying and writing briefs, having small talks with her is exactly what he needs. But he still plays the part by leaving half of the food for her, like today.

She tsk-ed and shook her head indignantly, "How dare you offer me your food? You think a queen like me would eat the food of the servants?"

He laughed before taking the box again, "Shall I buy the queen some frozen Italian delicacy?" he continued.

"Fine. But it better be sooner than later. The queen needs her beauty sleep."

He nodded exaggeratedly, "Yes, Queen. Your wish is my command."

"It better be."

 

**12\. Take my jacket. It's cold outside.**

The best thing about dating Park Jinyoung (something that still is hard to believe at times because of how long it took them to get here) is that Jinyoung always notices the little things and he puts a lot of effort into the tiny details: leaving a pair of his shoes (his manliest shoes, as he calls it) at the front door of her apartment to discourage any creepers, pulling an extra chair for her bag when they eat out, asking the barista to make her coffee less hot so that she could drink it immediately when they meet up in the morning.

Little gestures that could easily go unnoticed by someone who doesn't know Jinyoung as well as she does. The man puts great care into everything that he does, and she doesn't know how she could be so lucky to be the receiving end of so many of them. It's the reason why he always has an extra jacket in his car. "Take my jacket," he said as he turned off the heater and the audio system after parking his car (also another one of his little habit of making sure everything is switched off before leaving the vehicle), "It's cold outside."

It was a particularly beautiful Spring evening. They had dinner reservations at this new restaurant to celebrate their second anniversary as a couple (or their tenth year of knowing each other, as Wonpil, his best friend, would say since he likes to make sure that they remember how slow and dense they both were about one another). Suji bought a gorgeous sleeveless baby blue dress that fit just right and as she stepped outside of his car, she didn't honestly think she needs the jacket since the entrance to the restaurant was just right there. But she grabbed it from the backseat anyway and slid the oversized jacket on, sniffing his perfume on the too-long arms of the jacket.

"Do you regularly spray perfume on this? How come the smell doesn't fade?" she continued to sniff, hand around his arm as they make their way to the restaurant.

"No."

"Don't lie," she retorted as he shook his head.

"So what if I do? I know how much you like that perfume," he said with a chuckle.

Suji smiled and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, "You should really not waste your perfume on a jacket that you leave in the car," she teased him before settling down on the seat by the window, thoroughly grateful and happy to celebrate more years with this man.

 

**13\. Sorry I'm late.**

_Cling!_

Instinctively, Jinyoung looked at the door to see if it was Suji that just walked in.  _Nope,_ he said to himself before returning to his hot chocolate. It was only when his drink is completely gone (about ten minutes) that she rushed in and occupied the empty seat across from him.

"Should we go to another place that's even closer to your apartment?" he said before she could mutter a word. She shook her head frantically in response. "This is the only place that gets the temperature right for my coffee," she reasoned quickly. "I thought we picked this place because it's the closest to your place so that we can have plenty of time for our Wednesday coffees," he continued, smirking as he watched the redness of her cheeks fade. He loves giving her a hard time.

"Sorry I'm late," she said moments later once she has a cup of coffee in her hands, "I snoozed too many times."

"Yah... didn't you read the article I sent you last week about snoozing?" he asked, "I bet you didn't."

"Not everyone enjoys reading as much as you do," she retorted.

He shook his head, "Snoozing makes it even harder to wake up," he explained.

It was actually Suji's idea to meet up every Wednesday morning at 6 am. She had just graduated and began working for a marketing firm that has crazy work hours. Jinyoung had laughed at the suggestion, teasing her since he knows that she has a hard time waking up early in the morning before suggesting this place - a coffee shop that is across the street from her apartment.

Now, they have a corner by the window that's reserved for the two of them every Wednesday morning. All the baristas know their orders by heart (and the temperature that Suji likes her coffee) and the week would feel incomplete without the coffee and meaningless conversation.

"The closest place to my apartment after this would be my house," she said as they got ready to walk their separate ways to their respective destinations. He scrunched his forehead in thought, "But you make bad coffee," he replied before running away.

"Yah! Park Jinyoung!"

 

**14\. Can I have this dance?**

"Can I have this dance?"

He laughed that signature laugh of his - head slightly tilted back and hand hovering in front of his mouth. She smiled, her hand still outstretched and gesturing for him to place his hand on hers.

He has been nothing short of a ball of nerves that evening. If there's anything that could break Park Jinyoung into a satoori-speaking mess it was being a best man, she recently discovered. Ever since Jackson asked him to be his best man (a completely predictable choice), she has watched him slowly unravel as he does his best to be Jackson's helping hand in planning this giant wedding. Knowing Jackson's tendency to burst into wild spontaneous ideas, it was up to Jinyoung to make sure that the wedding goes on without a hitch and that the ring bearer is an actual human and not a bear ("But how cool would it be?" Jackson had said, making Suji laugh and Jinyoung sigh). So when the big day arrived, the stress lines were visible in his jaws. She knew it wasn't just about the wedding going smoothly; it was also an emotional moment to see Jackson being married. Jinyoung is emotional like that, at times.

"Why are they playing this song?" he muttered as they began to sway on the dance floor, "Isn't the song about a guy who was a bad boyfriend and he's now apologizing to the girl who is already dating someone else?"

Suji tilted her head, giving it a thought for a bit before shrugging. "It sounds nice," she commented as she studied his face. Suddenly all the laugh lines around his eyes become clearer and she fought the urge to run her fingers through those lines.

"How do you feel now that Jackson is a married man?" she asked a few songs later, their voice hushed as they continued to dance. He sighed, "I'm glad everything went according to plan. Did you see how happy he looked when he saw her walk into the room?" His excitement and happiness were impossible to hide.

She nodded, "I don't think I've ever seen him so solemn and happy."

"No one could tell that he was really hungover this morning, right?" he asked.

She shook her head, "You guys did a good job at cleaning him up."

"Yeah, literally," he chuckled, "I have to get my car cleaned up because he puked all over the backseat."

She laughed.

Her eyes briefly caught the man of the hour and his bride, whispering to one another on the podium, happiness clearly painted on their faces. She almost felt a little jealous. But when she focused her attention on the man in front of her, she smiled, knowing that she has nothing to be jealous of.

 

**15\. I made your favourite.**

"I made your favourite!" she announced as soon as he opened the door. He laughed and took the bag from her hands as he walked back inside his apartment. "Well, I lied. Huiryung made your favourite but I supplied her with all the ingredients," she added when he started opening the container, "Why can't your favourite food be something simple like aglio olio or ramyeon? Hamburger is hard to make."

"What do you mean? Hamburgers are easy," he said after a swallowing a big bite. "Yeah but you like ~artisan~ burgers, not ones in McDonald's," she made a face as she said the word 'artisan,' making him snort with laughter.

"I just take hamburgers seriously," he added.

She rolled her eyes.

("I want a house with a backyard," he said four years later as they sat in bed, newly married and are on the hunt for a house. "Why? So you can grill hamburgers?" she guessed. He grinned.)


	4. Part IV

**16\. It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway.**

_He's not picking up..._ she stared at her phone while pursing her lips in worry. The clock on the iMac indicated that it was a few minutes to 3am and she sighed. She knew that she should really stop staying up late at the studio to work but with the upcoming screening just around the corner, she needed to get these animations finished. Usually, she'd call her boyfriend but he was away on a trip with the investment club to Japan. She could always sleep in the studio like many of her friends do. But she quickly dismissed the thought.  _It's okay. You can do it. You can walk home,_ she told herself as she packed up her stuff and turned off all the desktops.

But she couldn't help it.

As she walked through the empty corridor, she started feeling nervous. She held her phone tight and looked through the list of contacts before her eyes landed on a name.

"J... Jinyoungie?" her voice quivered.

She didn't know why she called him exactly. They were introduced to one another a year ago and they've gotten closer ever since. But she didn't know if that was enough to warrant a phone call at this time of the day.

"Suji?" his voice sounded a bit hoarse.

"I'm so sorry that I woke you up. I just... I'm still at the studio and I'm a little creeped out."

"It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway," he replied.

She didn't know if he was lying or not. She almost didn't want to know. She was just glad to have his calming voice on the other side as she walked through the dark streets of Seoul.

 

**17\. Watch your step.**

It was all Jackson's idea.

"The best cure for heartbreak is a trip!" he had exclaimed during one of their dinners together. It's hard for Jinyoung not too look a little stricken. Here he was, at a dinner party with his friends who are trying to console the person that he loves whose heart was just broken by someone else. Truly a complicated situation that he does not wish upon his worst enemy (though he'd wish this upon perhaps Wonpil or Jaebum since they deserve to have more trouble in their lives). So here they are now, cramped in Jackson's car as they make their way to Busan for a road trip. He studied the passengers of the car from the rearview mirror and his eyes landed on the girl in question who was sleeping against the window.

"When will you make your move?" Jackson asked quietly.

Jinyoung turned his eyes back on the road, "It's not the right time."

"When will it be, Jinyoung-ah? It's been too long..."

And as he watched her walk slowly towards the beach as their friends ran ahead in glee, he wondered the same. Perhaps they had been doing this dance for too long. Her dating someone else, him dating someone else instead of one another. Maybe it was time for him to make a move. He doesn't think he's ever cared about anyone as much as he cares about her and watching her so heartbroken over her breakup was too much to bear. He was constantly between feeling sad at the sight of her so devastated and jealous at the same time that that person had her heart.

"Watch your step," her voice suddenly brought him back to reality. He was getting dangerously close to the waters. He chuckled in embarrassment and looked to his side where she stood, watching the open sky. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She took a deep breath, "I'm actually, okay. It's getting there," she gave him a smile that sent butterflies to his stomach.

"I'm glad," he smiled.

_Maybe it is time..._

 

**18\. Here, drink this. You'll feel better.**

Suji had an inkling that the dinner is something different than their usual get-togethers. Sure she and Jinyoung spend a lot of time together and they text each other a bazillion time a day, but when he asked her to go for dinner at this posh and Michelin-star restaurant, she knew that it wasn't going to be their usual jigae and beer type of night. The restaurant that they're going requires reservations a month in advance at minimum, so she knew that he'd planned this ahead of time.

It had been almost a year since she broke up with her ex and since then, she felt closer to Jinyoung than ever. She can't quite tell when it all had changed but she could feel the shift in their interaction. He texted her more (and Park Jinyoung is not usually a texter), they went out for dinner or coffee almost at every moment that their schedule could permit, and just the way he looks at her at times would make her feel shy. His smile suddenly seemed too bright and she's had strong urges to run her fingers through the laugh lines in his eyes. Lately, the way he would bite his lips when he's pretending to be mad at Jackson or Yugyeom has been driving her slightly crazy too. "Am I going insane?" she had asked a friend a few months ago when all these crazy thoughts about Jinyoung had become more frequent. "Are you that dense, Bae Suji? Is this the first time you've ever liked a guy?" her friend had responded with a laugh. But still... it left her feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety. What could this dinner mean? Is it okay to hope? She spent most of the week in all kinds of confused mess because she didn't know what to expect.

So when she got a text from Jinyoung that afternoon, she didn't quite know how to feel.

> **Park Jinyoung**
> 
> I have food poisoning. Raincheck on the dinner?

She had been unsure of how to feel as she waited in front of his door. But when she was greeted by a sight of disheveled and incredibly weak-looking Jinyoung, she forgot all confusion and any remnants of worry. "You really don't have to come," Jinyoung's voice was hoarse. Her heart melted a little as she watched him walk towards his kitchen, carrying the container of congee that she brought. His back looked a little sagged and his steps slightly shuffled. Gone was his usual regal posture and sure steps, replaced by a guy who's clearly powerless under the influence of whatever virus or bacteria that's ravaging his stomach.

"I knew I shouldn't have eaten that oyster," he whined softly when they're seated on his couch. Suji sat next to him with a bowl of congee for him to eat. She urged him to take a bite and when he did, she saw a quick wrinkle on his forehead. He muttered what was supposed to be an appreciative mum but it came out weak and thoroughly unconvincing for Suji's Jinyoung-trained ears."Do you want some broth instead?" she asked

"Do you want some broth instead?"

"This is fine," he shook his head before taking another small bite, "What kind of congee is this? It tastes a little..."

"It's mint, ginger, and ginseng."

He nodded before closing his eyes for a moment before frowning, "I think it's coming again. You should-"

"Do you need-"

He stood up and ran as fast as he could in his condition to the bathroom. Suji followed suit and spent the next few minutes rubbing his back as he ejected whatever's left in his stomach to the toilet.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said softly as he took the glass of water that she was holding out for him, "You really should leave. There's probably going to be more of that tonight, unfortunately."

"Don't worry about it," she waved him off as he settled himself on the couch, taking deep breaths. She went to the kitchen to look for a kettle to boil some water for tea. As she rummaged through the cabinet to find the tea she once saw tucked in the back of his cabinet (he's more of a coffee guy but he had gotten this a tea set gift from a co-worker and he decided to keep it because she told him that she likes chamomile). His cabinets are mostly empty with a sad supply of a few packs of ramyeon and spam. She didn't need to look in his fridge to see how bare it was, save for the containers of side dishes and kimchi that his mom sends him. He mostly eats in his office and he'd usually have to do it with the clients. He was rarely home long enough to cook. She nags him a lot for it - that he shouldn't eat out so much but then he'd throw it right back at her since she's also partially married to her job (though she'd always say that she's at least home more than him). But seeing him now, so stripped of his usual Park Jinyoung persona, the junior partner at Seoul's best law firm, who walks around in perfectly tailored suits, a briefcase in hand, and a sharp mind behind the charming smile is endearing too. She knew she's a goner when her heart swelled at the sight of him in his tattered SNU sweatshirt and sweatpants, looking pale and sick on the couch.

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better," she handed him a cup of warm tea. He muttered a soft thank you before drinking it slowly. They continued to chat for a while but she could see that his eyes were starting to droop.

"Why don't you sleep earlier tonight?" she suggested even though she still wants to sit here and just chat with him about nothing and everything.

He nodded, "Are you gonna tuck me in?" he smirked briefly.

She laughed as she ushered him towards his bedroom. "Can you stay for a bit?" he asked after he brushed his teeth. Standing by the door frame of his bathroom, Suji nodded. "I'll stay until you fall asleep," she swallowed. He nodded and smiled gratefully.

Later that night as she watched him sleep, she gently extricated her fingers from his and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead, "Good night, Park Jinyoung,"

 

**19\. Can I hold your hand?**

"'Can I hold your hand?'" Jackson's voice sounded constricted and weird before he burst out laughing, leaving Jinyoung and Suji feeling a little embarrassed while everyone else laughed at his expense. "What kind of man are you, Jinyoung-ah? A real man doesn't ask and just goes for it!" Jackson continued.

They had started dating for about a month when they went hiking with their friends. They decided to keep it a secret for the time being because they wanted some space to themselves before they're overwhelmed by their friends' chattering and teasing. On the hike, there was a particularly difficult part and Jinyoung had asked if he could help her when Jackson overheard his question.

Jinyoung tilted his head towards Suji as if asking for some kind of confirmation and she responded with a small nod.

"Actually..."

 

**20\. You can borrow mine.**

"Do you want to change to a clean shirt? You can borrow mine," Jinyoung said nonchalantly as he focused on the mess that is the pot of jigae that just dropped on the floor. He didn't think of the implication of what he had just said until he noticed the silence that suddenly befell the room.

He looked up to see Nayeon look a little stricken while Soohyun, Suji's boyfriend who was standing by the television, look almost angry. Before he could stand up to try and figure out what's going on, the universe gave him the answer in the form of Suji who was walking out of his room, now wearing one of his t-shirts.

 _Oh,_ he understood. And he couldn't say anything when Soohyun stormed out of his apartment with Suji in tow, thoroughly confused while Nayeon was seated silently on his couch, her expression turning into a mix of shock and sadness.


	5. Part V

**21 You might like this.**

Park Jinyoung is as prim and proper as it gets; he's the embodiment of manners maketh man in his daily life. But even he's tempted to undo his tie and pull on his hair when he's been in the library for the past four hours, scouring through boxes after boxes of files for the upcoming deposition. The paralegal helping him had excused himself for a smoke break when he finally leaned back on his chair to take a deep breath. He grabbed his phone and saw that he had an unread text.

> **Bae Suji**
> 
> You might like this

She included a picture of a Hawaiian top with what must be every spectrum of colour of the rainbow. He couldn't help but to break out into a laugh.

It's a wonder how a simple text and a picture could act like cold water on a scorching hot day. He had to wonder if he was that easy as a person that it only takes a text message to make him happy. But when another text message came in (this time it was from Jackson, asking if he wants to go to the gym together later tonight), he decided it wasn't the text - it was the sender.

"Did you find it?" The paralegal asked, making Jinyoung look up from his phone. The guy must've had the quietest steps since he didn't even realise that the guy had returned, smelling like cigarette. 

"Nope," Jinyoung responded, this time with a smile.

 

**22 It’s not heavy.  I’m stronger than I look.**

> **Bae Suji**
> 
> Emergency. Welp.

 

> **Park Jinyoung**
> 
> Be there in 25.

 

She mentally calculated in her head. It takes twenty minutes to get to her apartment from his. What're the extra five minutes for?

Her question was answered when he showed up on her door with a steaming cup of peppermint hot cocoa in his hand. She couldn't suppress her smile (let's be real: when has she ever been able to not smile when it comes to Jinyoung?) and almost forgot to explain why she had sent that text in the first place.

"You bought a new TV?"

She nodded and stared at the mess of boxes, bubble wraps, and Styrofoam on her living room floor. The TV had turned out to be much heavier than she anticipated and her roommates are both gone. So she was left to figure this out on her own.

"Yes," she sounded almost guilty.

He laughed knowingly, "So you can watch Damon and Elena in HD?" 

She grinned. He knew her too well. 

Before she had to a word, he squatted down and attempted to lift the TV. The keyword here being attempted because the TV was too wide for him to lift on his own. She laughed and quickly grabbed one end of the TV.

"Why are you ruining my moment?" he pouted as they walked over to the wall, "I wanted to say, 'It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look.'" She threw her head back and shook her head at that.

"You can still say it if you want," she offered when they're seated on the couch a few moments later. "Jinyoung-ah… it must be so heavy!" she continued in a sing song-y voice.

He scrunched his nose and shook his head, "The moment passed."

"Fine! I'll say it for you," she cleared her throat and made her voice as deep as possible, "'It's not heavy, Suji-ya. I'm stronger than I look.'"

His hand hovered over his mouth as he threw his head back and laughed.

 

**23 I’ll wait.**

He couldn't believe that it was happening _again._ He was finally able to get a reservation in that Michelin-starred restaurant and he was going to finally pop the question.

He had his suit pressed and ready in his car, and he was about to change when a senior partner at the firm suddenly strolled into his office with boxes and boxes of old case files trailing behind in a push cart. Now Jinyoung is knee-deep in files about coal mining and the clock is getting dangerously close to 7 PM. He buried his head in his hands. Just when he was about to scream in frustration, his phone rang.

"Jinyoungieeeee…" her voice washed over him like cold water on a hot summer day. His smile was automatic.

"Suji-ya…" he closed his eyes and leaned back on the hard file room chair that he's been sitting on for almost three hours.

"Yes, Lawyer Park," she sounded playful. He could picture her with that sweet and mischievous glint in her eyes. He'd do anything to see that right now instead of dusty case files and legal jargons that are becoming increasingly like hieroglyphics in his eyes.

"My boss asked me to look into old cases for tomorrow's briefing," he began. 

"Ah…" she sounded deflated and that made his chest squeeze uncomfortably.

"You know what?" he sat up straight, "Fuck this. I'm heading to your apartment now," he stood up. 

"No, no, no. Why don't I go to your office and help you? We can head to dinner afterward," she suggested.

"This may take all night."

"I'll wait."

 

**24 Just because.**

"Saturday nights at the library? Wow Park Jinyoung, you're a party animal," she teased when she found him in the corner of the SNU Law Library.

 "I'm studying for the bar exam," he looked up from his book to see her pulling out her laptop and Wacom tablet. "Why are you here on a Saturday night?"

 "Just because."

 

**25 Look both ways.**

It started out as a convenience.

When she had evening classes, instead of going home, she'd go to the library and stayed there until they could head home together. Their apartments weren't close by any means, but she wanted someone to walk to the subway with and Jinyoung was the perfect companion.

She'd always say that she's at the library to get her homework done. But the truth is that she could easily work in her apartment. In fact, the library isn't really the most conducive environment for her to finish whatever design project she was working on. She usually needed the stimulation of music to get her creative juices flowing, so the quietness of the library is really not the best place to work. But she goes there anyway. 

She told herself that it was because he'd walk her home. And maybe it was also because of the calming presence of Park Jinyoung who'd read out a sentence or two from his book that he found interesting in hushed tones. Or maybe it was the way he'd give her a genuine opinion when she asked him what he thought of her design or project (he'd call many of her designs ugly without hesitation and she has learned to appreciate his bluntness). Or maybe it was the way he'd say, "Look both ways," before she crossed the road to her apartment building when they part ways at the end of the night.

Now… as she sat across from a tired-looking Jinyoung, his sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened, she knew exactly why she spent many of her nights at that library.

It's the same reason why he asked her to dinner at that fancy restaurant tonight. It's the same reason why she didn't want him to choose between her and his job. And it's the same reason why she's here right now.

"I love you."

He froze and looked up, his smile automatic and wide and happy.

"I love you too."

("I'm kinda mad at you actually," he pouted as they waited for the elevator later that night. It closer to midnight and their dinner was the pojangmacha near his office. "Why?" she stepped into the elevator. "I wanted to say it first," he sulked.)


	6. Part VI

**26 “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”**

This was happening more and more frequently.

Ever since they made their whatever-it-is official, Jinyoung has been acting unusual. He was quieter and that easy confidence that used to ooze his every pore was becoming a rare sight. He seemed more hesitant and his sighs sounded louder than usual. Suji tried to ignore it - maybe he was having the male equivalent of PMS. But when he had a sour expression when she told him that she didn't feel like eating Indian food and would like to go to the new cereal bar instead ("It's called Midnight in Seoul and my unnie's best friend owns it. Let's go and check it out!" she had excitedly shared earlier). And she just kind of exploded.

"Yah. Park Jinyoung. What's wrong with you?" her tone stern and the light friendliness that is characteristic of Bae Suji was absent. The man was wearing a casual pink tee ("It's salmon," she had corrected him, much to his chagrin, when he complained about the color of the shirt that she bought for him.) and a light wash knee-length cut-off jeans, and he was taken aback by the tone. "You're so sensitive lately," she continued, "Are you having PMS? Should we go to the doctor?"

 

She worried that this was going to backfire on her. This isn't the first time that they fight, but he'd usually speak and not just quietly sulk like this. It's hard to have a fight with someone who's not saying a word.

"I just… now that we're a couple, I feel like we need to make more effort and make things more special and just… different than when we were friends," he confessed. She could see the worry lines on his forehead and it filled her with so much love to see him very concerned about something that seemed so trivial for her. So she did the only natural thing to do, which was to laugh and shake her head lovingly as she reached for his hands. "Things are different. It's better," she placed his hands on her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he apologised later that night when her eyes were almost closed. She gave him a sleepy smile before snuggling closer, happy to have him by her side.

 

**27 “Try some.”**

When Jinyoung and Suji announced that they were having a housewarming party for their new house, Jackson and Jaebum exchanged looks before bursting out into uproarious laughter, "Who's gonna do the cooking?"

Admittedly, they're not the most skilled in the kitchen, given that they spent most of their time eating out. But now that they've been engaged for two months and have decided to move in together, they felt like it was time to start becoming a bit more domestic. Suji and Jinyoung even enrolled in a cooking class, although their attendance has been spotty. The first was because of work but the second time was because Jinyoung gave Suji the puppy eyes on the couch ("You are kind of the worst," Suji threw him a cushion as she joined him on the couch where his hand was poised on the remote, "We have to find out how Lorelai will react when she finds out that Dean and Rory kissed!"). But they still tried to cook every once in a while, relying mostly on those short Buzzfeed Tasty videos that always seem to pop up in every social media that exist on Earth. 

"Here, try some," Suji calls over her shoulder, back to Jinyoung. He turns away from his laptop and took a moment to admire the sight of her bare legs and her simple oversized t-shirt, grinning excitedly with a spoon in her hand.

He walked away from his work to cuddle up behind her, wrapping one of his arms around her waist before he took a sip of whatever was on her spoon. "Dwaenjang jjigae?" he guessed and she nodded excitedly. He smiled - because her soup does taste good and because of he has in his arms. He dropped a quick kiss on the back of her neck before ticking her side.

 

**28 “Drive safely.”**

The alarm clock rang promptly at 5 AM.

"Why is it so early?" Suji's raspy voice called out. Even though her eyes were still glued shut, she could feel Jinyoung move to sit and get off the bed. "I have to drive Jackson to the airport," he answered before he turned on the faucet in the bathroom.

"Coffee," she handed a travel mug to him as he walked out the door. Her eyes looked like they were still shut. He chuckled and gave her a quick kiss in gratitude as he took the mug. 

"Thanks, babe. Go back to bed," he grabbed his coat.

 "You bet I will. Drive safely," she said as she watched him walk out the door, "Please hit Jackson in the back really hard once as my thank you for making us wake up this early."

He laughed and waved a quick goodbye.

 _I could really get used to this,_ he thought to himself as he waited for the elevator to arrive at the basement, sipping his warm coffee.

 

**29 “Well, what do you want to do?”**

It's the first day of their long-awaited ski trip. The excitement and energy are high as evidenced not by Jackson Wang practically running around the cabin yelling, "Snowboard! Snowboard! Snowboard!" but by the fact that even Im Jaebum was up early and was already strapping on his snow boots by the time Jinyoung woke up.

They've planned this trip for seemingly eternity - it was a graduation trip of sorts, a parting trip before they all get sucked into the world of adulthood. Jinyoung had been the designated driver for their trip up because no one trusted Jackson to be behind the wheel and not stopping every time they see a gas station (they still did, much to Jaebum's chagrin) and Jaebum would be far too grumpy to deal with everyone's requests on the road. Luckily, Jinyoung enjoys driving and he didn't mind it much. But that still left him pretty tired when they arrived at the cabin - so much so that all the commotion in the morning didn't wake him.

"Finally!" Jackson exclaimed dramatically, jumping up from the couch. "Jinyoung-ah…" his voice sounded like he'd been screaming all morning long, "Do you know how long I've waited? Why did you sleep so much?"

Jinyoung ignored his question.

"You just woke up?" Jaebum asked and Jinyoung nodded to that while surveying the living room to see almost everyone already up and about.  _Almost._ "She's not feeling well," Jaebum answered a question Jinyoung was just beginning to form in his head.

Later on, when he's on the mountain with everyone else, he couldn't help but to check his phone one too many times to see if Ayeon had texted him any updates. It's not that he didn't trust Ayeon's ability to take care of Suji, but he couldn't get that nagging worry out of his mind. 

"Okay. You have to stop looking at your phone, Jinyoung-ah," Jackson finally said, making Jaebum and Younghyun chuckle.

 "What if the girls need medicine or something? Ayeonie can't drive," he reasoned.

 "Well, what do you want to do?" Jackson asked.

 Jinyoung pondered for a minute but before he could verbalize his answer, Jaebum already dangled the car key in front of his face, "Pick us up at 7."

 

**30 "One more chapter.”**

"Oppa!" Somi's voice resonated through every inch of the humble house. She glanced at the clock in the microwave before stomping to her brother's room where she found him reading. "Ugh!" she groaned as she stood by Jinyoung's bed, hands on her waist, "The festival starts in thirty minutes! We have to go now!"

"Stop being noisy."

"Daehwi is waiting!" she screeched.

"Massage my arms first," he stretched out his arm while his other arm held the book he was reading.

She rolled her eyes and massaged his arm roughly. "I can't wait until I can drive so I don't have to ask you for help anymore," she fumed. "Are you happy now? Can we please go now?" she asked after a few minutes.

"One more chapter."

"Ugh!" she groaned, "I told Suji unnie I would visit her booth before I go off to see the performances, now I won't even--"

"Suji?"

"So that's the keyword…" Somi noted with a mischievous look on her face.

"Shut up. Let's go."

Somi shook her head, smiling knowingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits to @ninta_cs's dream for Somi being Jinyoung little sister.


	7. Part VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit early, but happy new year!

**31\. “Don’t worry about me.”**  
Jinyoung gets compared to Jaebum a lot - and it’s a comparison that he doesn’t ever mind. After all, even though Jaebum is just a few months older than him, he reveres him like a hyung. He admires the guy and he respects him a lot.

“The two of you are so weird,” Suji said during of their coffee dates. They were walking along the Cheonggyecheon Stream and even though it was technically Fall, there was still remnants of the summer sun, making their iced Americanos appropriate for the occasion.

“Why?”

“You joined the movie club mostly because of him, right? He joined MUN in high school because of you. You guys went to the same university. Lived in the same dorm. And now that he’s a movie director, you become his production house’s lawyer. It’s like you guys are conjoined twins or something.”

Jinyoung shrugged.

“And this big production that you have to be there for this weekend, is this for real? Or is it just a ploy for you two to have some bro hang out time?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Yah. They’re doing pre-production stuff in Guam and they need me to look over the contracts with local vendors to make sure everything is good.”

She rolled her eyes as she chuckled.

“And Jackson. What is Jackson doing in Guam? He’s an athlete. Why does he need to be there? Is there a fencing championship happening there too?” She continued her line of questioning, the glint of mischief never leaving her eyes. She loves giving Jinyoung a hard time.

“He wanted to tag along!” He answered, remembering the exact moment that that arrangement came to be (“Jinyoung-ah…” he had said in his typical, Jackson way, “I’m so hurt you didn’t invite me to Guam with you and Jaebum.” Before he could finish explaining that it was a work trip, Jackson was already buying his own flight to Guam and there was nothing he could do to stop it).

She laughed, “Fine, fine. It’ll be good for you to take some time away from work.” She noticed the dust building up on the books by his bedside the other day - a sign that he hasn’t had enough time to sit down and do his nightly reading. He had been taken under the wing of one of the partners at the firm, and that essentially means longer work hours. So when he told her about this trip, she was nothing short of excited for him.

“Will you be okay, though?” He asked sincerely, stopping in his tracks and staring into her eyes with a genuine concern across his face.

“I’m an adult, Jinyoung-ah. Don’t worry about me.”

He still looked unconvinced - not of her ability to take care of herself, but because he just hates being away from her. She knows that and that’s why she looped her arm on his and began walking forward, “So this beach in Guam… is it a nude beach?”

“Yah!”  
   
**32\. “It looks good on you.”**  
“Yah,” Suji groans into his shoulder after accidentally falling asleep on the couch on their Breaking Bad marathon. This type of show is not her cup of tea, but she knew that she’ll have to suffer through more of Jaebum and Jinyoung’s long lectures about the greatness of the show if she didn’t just surrender and watch it.

“Go to your room,” he said, “I’ll clean up and leave after this episode ends.”

She mumbled and unintelligible yes. She blinked a few times before sitting up straight and that’s when she noticed the stain on his sweater.

“Ugh. Did I do this?” She pointed at it.

He nodded slowly with a side glance, arms crossed.

“Why do you date me when I’m so gross?” She sighed dramatically and grabbed a tissue in an attempt to clean it up.

“It’s the TV,” he reached over and wiped the corner of her lips and her cheek.

“I knew it. It couldn’t have possibly been my amazing cooking skills,” she shook her head, stretching her arms above her before getting up. “Just one episode, and then go home, okay?” She said after giving him a kiss on the cheek.

He nodded, eyes still glued to the TV with a slight content smile on his lips.

A few weeks later, she came to his office wearing that same sweater (she had asked him to let her wash it a few days after that night). It looked funky, given that she was wearing a black pencil skirt and black stilettos. But he loves it. “Your office is a refrigerator,” she grumbled as she settled into the empty chair next to his cubicle.

When he looked over a few hours later, he found her asleep, arms and head on the table.

“Let’s go,” he whispered to her sometime later. She mumbled and stretched before standing up. “It looks good on you,” he said in the elevator. “What?” She asked, looking half asleep. “The sweater. It looks better on you,” he continued.

She tsk-ed, “You’re just saying that because I drooled on this one again and you don’t want to wear it again.”

He laughed as he pulled her closer to him by her shoulders.  
   
**33\. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”**  
They were having dinner together at home. Suji made some kimchi jjigae, pajeon, and pan-friend spam. This recipe of jjigae was achieved through trial and error - something that Jinyoung and her close friends could testify to with a grimace on their faces.

It was an incredibly normal evening for them. They try to have dinner together at least once a week and lately, work has been so exhausting for Jinyoung because of a big case that he was put in charge. So he asked if they could just have dinner at her apartment tonight. Suji actually wanted to try a new Spanish restaurant in Hongdae but she knows that Jinyoung is a homebody at heart and when he’s exhausted like this, he wouldn’t be in the mood to go out.

“Hi…” he whispered as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek before rolling the sleeves of his shirt. “How was work today?” She asked as she brought the jjigae to the table. Jinyoung was setting the silverware and plates on the table as he always does when they do meals at home. “The deposition went okay,” he answered, his voice quiet.

“You must be exhausted,” she pursed her lips as she looked across the table at her boyfriend of three years, looking handsome with his shirt sleeves rolled up and tie loosened. “Let’s eat! I added tuna this time and it smells so good,” She chirped excitedly, lightening the mood.

“Wait,” he said, “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

She looked puzzled as she sat up straight, setting down the chopsticks, and no longer looking at the rice bowl in front of her, “Are you trying to steal all the spam? Because I swear Park Jinyoung—“

He shook his head, trying to contain his smile. “Yah…” he said gently, “I’m not Jackson, okay?”

“So?”

“Just do it. Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

She eyed him skeptically before closing her eyes and moving her hand.

“I might cry if this is a prank,” she chattered on. She could hear his soft laughter as a response.

Then suddenly, she felt another hand bumping hers.

“Open your eyes,” he said.

She gingerly opened her eyes and found Jinyoung’s hand fist bumping against hers. She was about to ask him what in the world is going on when he turned his hand and unclasped his fingers, revealing something shiny inside.

“What are you—”

“Bae Suji... will you marry me?”

(inspired by [this scene](http://fourteen-hundred.tumblr.com/post/72210561948/to-her-it-may-be-an-underwhelming-proposal-but) in _Marriage Blue_ )

 **34\. “That’s okay, I bought two.”**  
It would be a lie to say that Suji never thought about marrying Jinyoung. In fact, it was truly the one thing that convinced her that she wanted to be with him - the fact that early on in their relationship as friends, she could easily picture herself being married to him. There was an easiness to their banter and arguments and comfort in their movements with one another that she has never felt with anyone else - she almost felt bad for her exes because it felt like she was cheating on them by being friends with Jinyoung.

Her parents have brought that topic up too. They always said it teasingly whenever she and Jinyoung are visiting. In comparison to her past boyfriends, it was only with Jinyoung that her dad actively joke and ask about marriage. She took it as a good sign, though he wondered at what point will the question become a serious inquiry and not a joke. But she would just shake off the thought and move on to nagging her younger brother.

It was a year ago, during the summer holiday when she and Jinyoung visited that she could sense the change - both in her parents and herself.

Her relative who was living in Australia was visiting with their toddler and the whole Bae clan was out on the park. Jinyoung was joining the men - her dad, her uncle, and her cousin - at the exercise area. She had laughed at how excited Jinyoung was to see one of those hip exercise machines (“Yah. How are you more excited for this than my dad? Are you secretly an ahjussi?” she teased him as he jogged towards her dad and uncle).

Meanwhile, she was playing happily reading a book to her niece. Her niece really enjoys being read to and she was more than happy to fulfill the task. She was glad that her niece had chosen a book with a good art style.

Her mom, auntie, and cousin were chatting idly when Jinyoung jogged over before settling down next to her. He was huffing and puffing, tired from the jogging around the park with Suji’s cousin.

He grabbed a bottle of water that was lying next to her and downed it in one go.

“Sorry. Do you want me to run and grab more?” he asked apologetically.

She shook her head, “That’s okay. I bought two,” she said with an easy smile - something that did not go unnoticed by her mom. So later that night when she was watching TV with her mom while Jinyoung and her dad washed dishes, her mom asked, “Do you like him that much?”

“Who? Min Kyung Hoon?” referring to one of the cast members of the show on TV.

“Jinyoungie,” her mom said just above a whisper, “I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy.”

Suji paused to think and the only thing she can do is nod before wrapping her arm around her mom’s and resting her head on her mom’s shoulder.

“I’m glad,” the older woman said a few beats later. Without looking up, Suji knew that her mom was smiling.  
   
**35\. “After you.”**  
“Jinyoung-ah…” the seriousness in Suji’s dad’s voice got Jinyoung to pause his rinsing. He couldn’t help but to straighten up.

“Yes, abeoji…”

“Thank you for taking care of my daughter,” the older man said, his eyes trained on the dishes he was soaping up, “She’s been away in Seoul for a long time. Her mom and I always worry but lately, we can sleep comfortably at night.”

Jinyoung didn’t quite know what to say.

“Thank you for willingly putting up with her and her craziness,” he continued with a loving chuckle.

Jinyoung laughed along and continued to rinse, “Don’t mention it, abeoji. She takes care of me too.”

Later when the four of them decided to go for dessert, Suji pulled Jinyoung back and whispered, “I had a weird talk with my mom tonight,” as she put on the denim jacket that Jinyoung just handed her.

He pursed his lips and nodded slowly, “Did you?”

“I’ll tell you about it later,” she straightened the thin sweater he just put on.

“After you,” he gestured with a smile.

“Your smile is so wide and weird,” she eyed him suspiciously as she walked out the door with him trailing behind her.

“I smile like this all the time!” He retorted, chuckling.

“What did you and dad talk about?” she continued as he locked the door.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me!”

He laughed and gently pushed her forward with his hand on her lower back, “Your parents are waiting in the car.”


	8. Part VIII

#####  **36 “We’ll figure it out.”**

He found her in the bathroom, curled into herself on the floor, heaving a sob. There’s a pregnancy test on the floor and he knew what it said without having to look.

“Honey?” he began, careful. It was a stab to his heart when she responded with sobs. They’ve been trying to have a baby for the past three months and so far, it’s been negative.

He carefully sat down on the floor next to her and pulled her into his chest. She leaned into him like it’s a reflex and continued to cry as he buried himself on the top of her head, breathing in her scent as he collected himself. He had to be strong for her now.

“I don’t get it,” she said sometime later after she’s calmed down. Jinyoung responded with an undecipherable murmur, his arm still around her. “We put it off for so long because we wanted to focus on our career and making sure we’re ready. Now that we are, it’s not happening. Is this karma for waiting too long?” she continued.

He took her hand and intertwined it with his, “Of course not. It’s only been three months. Remember how long it took my noona? They tried for almost a year. We just need to be patient.”

She sighed and nodded.

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. I promise,” he assured her.

 

#####  **37 “Can I kiss you?”**

When Suji is in the throes of working, particularly when a deadline is approaching, there is nothing stopping her. It took him awhile but he knew the signs.

Inactive cell phone. Wacom tablet never leaving her hands. iMac and her MacBook both on at the same time. Copious amounts of green tea. And ignoring everyone, including him.

But even then, he’d still come over to her apartment every night to make sure she’s eating and breathing. He’d often bring his work too and play a random show on Netflix in the background while sitting on her couch. Even though they’d say no more than a few sentences, it was nice to just be in each other’s company.

It was one of those evenings and Jinyoung had to put his papers away because he was certain that his eyes was going to pop out of the sockets if he read “plaintiff” one more time. Netflix is asking if he was still watching Gilmore Girls (in his defence, he wasn’t watching and that it was the first thing on her queue, although he secretly enjoys it) and his watch indicated that it was almost 11:00 PM.

Looking over at her desk where she was still working, he sighed. It was time for him to go home so he began to gather his things and sauntered over to her.

Normally, he’d quietly make his exit after brewing another pot of tea but today, he decided to casually lean over to block her view of her iMac.

“Hi,” he greeted with a smile, “I’m going home.”

“Hi and okay,” she smiled distractedly.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked.

She nodded, her eyes still on her screen.

He rolled his eyes, unable to contain his smile before leaning over and planting a quick kiss on her lips.

“You should be lucky I’m so understanding of your zombie phases,” he retorted.

“You should be lucky that I’m equally a workaholic like you,” she answered quickly, her eyes back on the screen, and a small smile on her lips.

He chuckled and stood up straight.

“Please sleep. Your phone’s charging so please text me,” he smoothed the top of her head gently. “Love you,” he kissed the top of her head.

“Love you too,” she replied before he walked out the door.

 

#####  **38 “I like your laugh.”**

“When did you know?” Jinyoung asked out of the blue.

It didn’t come as a surprise for Jinyoung when his usually-energetic best friend arrived at his doorstep, looking a bit disheveled and delirious at the same time, and announcing: “I’m going to propose to Yerin.”

It also didn’t come as a surprise for Jinyoung when he received a text message at 1AM with words, “She said yes.”

Now, sitting in his living room with Jackson’s eyes glued to the video game on TV - one that Jinyoung is also playing on autopilot, he wondered when it all happened for his best friend, the guy voted Most Likely To Die in a Bungee Jumping Accident when they were in high school. Jackson responded to his question with a shrug. “I like the way she laughs,” he answered nonchalantly without a second thought.

Jinyoung nodded before going back to the game.  _ I like the way Suji laughs,  _ he added in his head.

 

A/N: I know I’m taking liberties with the prompts. Sue me. 

 

**39 “Don’t cry.”**

Huiryung was the one who told him about Suji and Jong Suk, looking nervous and worried as the worry lines were visible on the forehead of the petite girl. “She told me over text and I haven’t talked to her since. She refused to answer my phone call,” she muttered, worry dripping from her every word.

Jinyoung’s mind is already turning at this news. Jong Suk was a nice guy - he had no issues with him and he even appreciates his cheerful energy, which is probably what makes it even more infuriating that this had to happen. He can’t lie and say he was hoping it would last. In fact, JInyoung doesn’t like to think about that much at all. But she seemed happier with Jong Suk than she did with her previous boyfriends. “I’ll go over there,” he offered, already standing up and heading for the door.

“Huiryung told me what happened,” he immediately explained when she opened the door. It’s hard to contain his surprise to see her so pale and so… un-Suji.

“Suji-ya?” she glanced up, barely moving her head.

He nudged her inside the apartment where she walked lifelessly back to her bed. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. She leaned into his torso and buried her face in his chest.

“He said that long distance is too hard.”

And just like that, she began to sob.

Whatever good feeling he had towards Jong Suk before has now evaporated. He closed his eyes and rubbed her arm gently, “Don’t cry. You’ll be okay.”

 

**40 “I made this for you.”**

Bae Suji has obsessive tendencies. Once she’s obsessed with something, she’ll be knee-deep in it until she found something else to obsesses over, and Park Jinyoung is a passenger seat through many of these phases.

“I want to have my own pet panda,” she declared the moment she stepped into his car.

“Here we go..” he muttered under his breath with a small smile, bracing himself for the endless texts of panda pictures and links to panda videos. (He’s not gonna lie, pandas are adorable.) So one morning, he decided to make her pancakes for breakfast after watching one of those pancake art videos online. He’s not the most romantic person but he just felt like doing something special that day.

Right as he was plating the pancake, she sauntered into the kitchen, eyes half closed, and sat on one of the dining chairs with her legs up.

“Good morning,” he placed the plate in front of her.

“What is this?” her voice betrayed her confusion.

“I made this for you,” he pointed at the pancake, “Can you tell what it is?”

She tilted her head and observed the food on the plate a little closer. “Is this… supposed to be a panda?”

He nodded, “Not bad, right?” he added proudly. He knew that it was going to be hard and he probably broke a sweat trying to follow the recipe on the video. But he thought that it wasn’t too bad for a first-timer.

“Babe, you should leave the art-related things to me from now on.”

He rolled his eyes and returned to the hot pan.

“Stick to circles,” she added, chuckling as she planted a kiss on his arm, now standing beside him by the stove. “Good morning,” she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He smiled. “You should taste the pancake. I don’t know if I followed the recipe correctly. It called for an unusual amount of sugar.”

“Yah!”

(Later on, his phone beeped with a notification from Instagram, saying that Suji has just posted a picture with the hashtag: #pancakeartfail #sticktolawyering #EforEffort)


End file.
